Pigeons Ranch

… This place was along the Old Santa Fe Trail. On it was a big adobe house about a hundred feet long with two wings of fifty or more feet, with a high adobe wall and stables in the rear. In the middle of the buildings was a patio in which there were several trees; this had a porch on three sides after the Mexican Manner. Along the front of the house was a wide porch on the road.1

This is what you will see when you pull up to the location of Pigeons Ranch along side the road.
This is what you will see when you pull up to the location of Pigeons Ranch along side the road. [source]

Pigeon’s Ranch, located near Glorieta, New Mexico, served as a welcome stopover for travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. It also played a significant role in the Battle of Glorieta Pass, an important battle in the Civil War’s western theater.

Pigeon’s Ranch

Originally called “Rancho de Glorieta,” Pigeon’s Ranch sits 18 miles southeast of Santa Fe along the Santa Fe Trail. It was owned by Alexander Pigeon, a French man, who later renamed himself Alejandro Valle after acquiring a Spanish land grant in 1852 for 5,275 pesos (about $257.00 today). Valle “built, or had built, the adobe ranch house after his decision to build a Santa Fe Trail-side ‘house of entertainment’ sometime in the 1850s.” After the Mexican American War, “improvement of the Santa Fe trail and increased traffic coincided with the construction of trail side complexes, ranches, farms and houses/inns such as Pigeon’s.”2 During the Santa Fe Trail’s heyday, the ranch also served as rest stop for travelers who needed to eat, rest, and feed their animals. No recorded images or descriptions of the ranch before the Civil War in 1862.

This is a map of The Old Santa Fe Trail from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
This is a map of The Old Santa Fe Trail from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. [source]

What is the Santa Fe Trail?

The Santa Fe Trail was a commercial highway established in 1821 by William Becknell that connected Santa Fe (then part of northern Mexico) to Missouri, roughly 900 miles away.The trail served as a route so traders could easily exchange goods, such as different types of tools, cloths, wool, weapons, and animals. Although it was primarily a trade route, the trail also provided a way for people to move to the west and start new lives.3

This is a depiction of the Union troops being pushed out of Pigeons Ranch by Confederate troops. You can see the ranch in the background of the Confederates
This is a depiction of the Union troops being pushed out of Pigeons Ranch by Confederate troops. You can see the ranch in the background of the Confederates [source]

Gettysburg of the West

During the Civil War, Confederate troops under the command of Brigadier General Henry Sibley, rallied his troops in San Antonio, Texas, to move toward Denver. To do this, he had planned to march troops through New Mexico. Sibley wanted to capture gold shipments coming out of the Colorado Rockies. He also wanted to occupy California in order to gain to access the Pacific coast. After the Confederate Army won battles marching toward Denver they were met with very little resistance from enemies–until the Battle of Glorieta Pass, that is.4

In March 1862, during the Battle of Glorieta Pass, both Confederate and Union troops used Pigeon’s Ranch as a hospital, prison, and battleground. On March 25th Confederate soldiers were captured by Union soldiers; the next day 400 Union troops used the ranch as a hospital for wounded and sick soldiers. They utilized all the supplies Valle’s Ranch had to offer such as hay and food. On the 27th reinforcements arrived for Union troops, and later so did reinforcements for the Confederate Army. Union Soldiers used the adobe walls of the ranch as cover. Confederate troops pushed out the Union forces and took control of the ranch. They then fatefully left the ranch and headed westward to Johnson’s Ranch, where they found their supplies and cattle destroyed by Union troops. This left the Confederate Army with almost nothing and they were forced back to Texas. The Battle of Glorieta pass was a major win for the Union and a turning point of the war in New Mexico Territory.5

A copy of the original hand written claim Alejandro Valle made to the US for damaged goods and property due to the Battle of Glorieta Pass provided by UNM's Southwest Research Library
A copy of the original hand written claim Alejandro Valle made to the US for damaged goods and property due to the Battle of Glorieta Pass provided by UNM’s Southwest Research Library [source]
A copy of the original hand written list of supplies lost during the Battle of Glorieta Alejandro Valle made. It is Provided by UNM's Southwest Research Library
A copy of the original hand written list of supplies lost during the Battle of Glorieta Alejandro Valle made. It is Provided by UNM’s Southwest Research Library [source]

Because of damage to the Ranch during the Battle of Glorieta Pass, Alejandro Valle filed a claim against the US government in 1870 for damages to his house and ranch (even though he had sold his ranch in 1865). In his testimony, he and one of his employees detailed “losses of oxen, a horse, grain, molasses, whisky, and other supplies; and destruction of structures, equipment and family possessions.”6 Despite the destruction to the ranch during the battle the US rejected his claim.

Pigeon’s Ranch Today

The land has been sold to many people in the hopes that they would preserve the historic site and rebuild the structure. In December 1992 the National Park Service signed a lease agreement with the Conservation Fund, and eventually acquired Pigeon’s Ranch. The site remains undeveloped. The National Park Service continues to maintain the structure, secure it from vandalism, and work to eliminate drainage problems caused by the flattened mounds of adobe walls. On the land today you will find yourself surrounded by pinon bushes, juniper trees, shrubs, and grass. You can still see the ruins of the adobe house, as well as part of the original corral.

This picture shows the front of Pigeons Ranch that served as a rest stop for travelers in 1880. (Photo by Ben Wittide; Courtesy Museum of New Mexico, Neg No 15783)
This picture shows the front of Pigeons Ranch that served as a rest stop for travelers in 1880. (Photo by Ben Wittide; Courtesy Museum of New Mexico, Neg No 15783) [source]
A roadside view of what Pigeons Ranch looks like today
A roadside view of what Pigeons Ranch looks like today [source]

What’s Around Pigeon’s Ranch

Nearby are also other national Parks and buildings along the Santa Fe Trail, and you can also continue your way through Civil War history by visiting Kozlowski’s Trading Post that’s also on the Santa Fe trail and served as a base for Union Soldiers.

High-five Zip Tour
High-five Zip Tour [source]
Santa Fe Food Tour
Santa Fe Food Tour [source]
Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos National Historical Park [source]

Works Cited

“History & Culture.” National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed December 13, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/safe/learn/historyculture/index.htm.

Feasibility Study for Pigeon’s Ranch, Glorieta Pass Battlefield, New Mexico. Santa Fe, N.M. : State of New Mexico, Office of Cultural Affairs, Historic Preservation Division, ©1985., 1985. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat05987a&AN=unm.55652765&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Pigeon’s Ranch HSR. Accessed 13, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/pecos/pigeons-hsr/historic.pdf.

Pigeon’s Ranch, New Mexico.” Legends of America. Accessed December 13, 2019. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/pigeons-ranch/.

  1. Pigeon’s Ranch Historic Structure Report, 10-11. ↩

  2. Pigeon’s Ranch Historic Structure Report, 2. ↩

  3. National Park Service, “History and Culture,” Santa Fe National Historic Trail. ↩

  4. State of New Mexico, “Feasibility Study for Pigeon’s Ranch.” ↩

  5. Legends of America, “Pigeon’s Ranch, New Mexico.” ↩

  6. State of New Mexico, “Feasibility Study for Pigeon’s Ranch.” ↩

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